Think about how many of us enjoy recreating in Montana. If each of us pulls noxious weeds for 5 to 15 minutes per outing day, our cumulative efforts will significantly reduce noxious weeds and improve our wildlife habitat.

 

When you are out recreating watch for Pull Your Share signs. Each sign has a photo of the noxious weed that infests that area. Using the photo of the weed, pull that noxious weed for at least  5 to 15 minutes per outing day. When pulling weeds, wear gloves and grab the plant as close to the ground as possible and get as much root pulled out as possible. If it is difficult to get any root to pull out, you may loosen the soil using a screwdriver, or a weed pry tool that can be purchased at a gardening supply store (shown in photo).

 

Once the weeds are pulled it is best to place them in a plastic garbage bag, close the bag so that noxious weed seeds do not fall out during transportation. Dispose of the bag of weeds in a garbage bin. If the plants are pulled in early spring prior to seed heads forming, it is ok to pull and leave them. Refrain from pulling weeds when the plants are dry, as walking through the weeds may cause weed seeds to come off the plants and on to your clothing and be transported inadvertently to another location.

 

It is important to pull along trails to prevent hitchhiker seeds from sticking to the mud on the bottom hiking boots and being transported to a new location.

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